22 Sep 2016

Dirk Kuyt remains a fan favourite at LFC, and at the age of 36, the Dutchman is still delivering the goods, which seems to impress Man Utd star Paul Pogba^.

Last week, Kuyt helped Feyenoord register a shock 1-0 victory over United, and in an interview soon after, he told reporters:

“He [Pogba] came up to me and said ‘amazing’, that I am here still running around in this day and age. It’s nice that he has respect for me, especially because he is one of the best players in Europe.”

Pogba is right - it is pretty amazing that Kuyt is still doing the business at 36, and his figures for Feyenoord over the last year show that he's still making a huge contribution to the team:

* 2015-16: 28 goals/assists in 38 apps (One every 119 mins)

* This Season: 4 goals/assists in 7 games (One every 145 mins)

Kuyt's goal total last season (19) is the best of his career, and he achieved that at 35. Granted, the Eredivise is not the most taxing league in Europe, but it's still impressive.

In many ways, Adam Lallana is current Liverpool version of Dirk Kuyt: a workhorse, lauded more for his defensive contribution than regular goals/assists. Kuyt, however, scored/created far more goals than Lallana, and that's despite being the type of player who struggled for creative consistency.

That said, every team needs a Kuyt-type player, and if Lallana continues his early season form for a sustained period, he may go on to become a fan favourite like the Dutchman.^ Hailed by Rio Ferdinand as 'magic'. Cost £89m.